The present invention concerns an imaging apparatus and corresponding method. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns an imaging apparatus, and a method, for improving discrimination between parts of scene. The invention also concerns a processing unit programmed for use in such an apparatus/method and a software product for so programming such a processing unit.
Across various imaging applications, there is a desire to better distinguish with the imaging system employed between an object of interest and other parts of the scene being viewed. Typically imaging systems of the prior art have considered detecting other wavelengths of radiation instead of visible light, for example, imaging systems based on the use of infra-red cameras, which can enhance any objects hotter than their local surroundings, for example objects which emit or reflect heat against a relatively cold background. Various regions of the infra-red spectrum being good for enhancing living animals or human beings and various other regions of the infra-red spectrum being better suited for “hotter” objects such as aircraft or other vehicles. Infra-red cameras are widely used for many such applications. There are also proposals for improving imaging techniques by comparing temporally separated images for changes in the image (therefore good for detecting moving objects against a static background—see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,755). Passive imaging polarimetry has also been proposed for enhancing the information available from a remote sensor set-up (see for example, the paper by Scott et al, “Review of passive imaging polarimetry for remote sensing applications”, 1 Aug. 2006/Vol. 45, No. 22/Applied Optics pages 5453 to 5469). There still exists however a desire to provide an improved means of better discriminating an object from other parts of a scene being viewed with an imaging system. Such a desire exists for example in relation to military applications where there is a desire to improve imaging techniques by suppressing background information in a scene whilst enhancing or emphasising target signatures, particular to assist a human-in-the-loop in perception and recognition of certain objects in a scene.
The present invention thus seeks to provide an improved imaging system.